Chest



'Spt. 27, 193& W.ZlEGLE-R 2,131,576

CHEST Filed Dec. 12, 1934 Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES FPATENTOFFICE Walter Ziegler, Forest Park, Ill., as signor to' Ed. Roos Company, a corporationof Illinois Application December 12, 1934, Serial No. 757,175

4 Claims. (Cl. 312-189) This invention relates to household furniture, and, more particularly, to clothes chests and the like. e

One of the objects of the invention is the provi- 'sion of a chest having a novel arrangement of compartments movably connected together.

Another objectof the invention is the provision of new and improved means for movably connecting anupper compartment to a lower receptacle or main body of the chest that is so constructed and arranged that the upper compartment which forms a closure for the chest will be prevented from projecting rearwardly of the plane of the back of the chest during the opening and closing operations.

'A further object of theinvention is the provision of a new and improved hinge mechanism for connecting a closure to a receptacle in such a manner that the weight of the closure will be partially counterbalanced during the opening and closing operations.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of new and improved hinge mechanism for the closure of a chest whereby the closure will be seated on the lower compartment when in opened position and will be automatically held in open position, and which will be limited in its rearward movement by such mechanism.

A further object. of the invention is theprovision of a new and improved chest and associated parts that are inexpensive to manufacture, easily assembled, efiicient in use and which will be unobtrusive and pleasing in appearance.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the following drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the chest with parts broken away and showing the closure in open position; c

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the chest showing the closure inclosed position;

Fig. 4 is a similar view but showing the closure in open position; and V Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a portion of the chest showing the locking mechanisms.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference character 10 designates generally the chest which comprises the lower section or compartment H and the upper section, compartment or closure 12 provided with a lid l3. The lower compartment ll may be of the usual or any well-known 5 construction and is-preferably, though not necessubstantial depth for receiving clothing, bed-' for this purpose.

sarily, provided with feet, legs. or supports -'-l'4- andl5. e I

The upper section or closure comprises a receptacle I 6 which corresponds in'length and width to the lower receptacle and constitutes a closure. therefor. The lid l3 forms va closure for the receptacle I6' and is hingedthereto in any suitable manner, as by means of the hinges l1.

The uppersection I2 is movablyv connected tothe lower section II by a mechanism that will permit the closure to be opened without projecting the same rearwardly beyond the plane of the rear wall of the chest during the opening .and closing operations. By means of such mechanism, the chest may be pushed back against the wall of the room containing the.same, and the closure opened without moving the/chest away from the wall. Furthermore, the closure. |2"1is in the form of a receptacle which may be of a ding or the like, and when the upper receptacle 20 or closure is filled, the weight thereof may be considerable, and, for that reason, itis desirable that means be provided for equalizing or counterbalancing the weight thereof, while same is being opened. Any suitable'mechanismmay. be employed'for'performing these functions. In the form of construction selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and which is by way of example only, a plurality of links are employed 0 As shown,-two links? and 19 of substantially the same length are employed-for movably con'-' necting the two sections together. These links are preferably, though not necessarily, duplicates of each other, whereby their assembly is materially facilitated. The lower ends of these links are pivotally connected to the lower section or compartment H and the upper ends of same are pivotally connected to theupper compartmentor closure 12. 40

Any suitable means may be employed for pivotally connecting the links to the sections. In the form of construction shown, the lower ends of the links are connected to a pivot bar or plate 2|, the central portion of which is rigidly con nected to the end wall of the lower compartment, as by :means of the screws 22 located at points below the upper edge of said end wall. r The ends of the bar are offset inwardly" to which the links l8 and I!) are pivotally or hinged $00 -ly connected, as by. means of the pivots- 23 and 24. The upper ends of. the links l8 and '19 are pivotally connected to a. hinge plate 25 .se cured to the bottom wall. of the upper receptacle 5 for attaching the guides -.sure, and at the same imovement of said links.

or compartment |2 at points inwardly ,of the rear edge thereof. This plate is preferably angular in cross section, one flange engaging the bottom of the receptacle and secured thereto, as by meansof the screws 26. The other flange 20 extends outwardly and has pivotal connections with the upper ends of the links l8 and I9, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The bar 2| is arranged angularly across the end wall of the lower closure with the pivot 23 below the pivot 24, as shown in Fig. 4.

The plate -is much shorter than the bar 2| and due to these dimensions and the arrangement of the parts, the closure is caused to move inwardly by these links when the same is ele vated from the front so that no part of the 010- sure will project rearwardly of the rear wall 21 of the lower compartment during the opening and closing operations. v

It will also be seen that since the hinge plate 25 is secured to the bottom of the upper closure that when the closure is in open position, as shown in Fig. 4, its center of gravity has passed 'dead center and the closure will rest on the upper edge of the lower compartment for holding the samein open position, as shown inFig. 4.

Furthermore, due to this arrangement of the plate 25, the weight of the upper compartment will be largely borne by thelinks l8 and I9 dur ing a major portion of the opening and closing of this compartment, thereby facilitating these operations.

'The hinge mechanism may be assembled as a unit and'is ready to be attached in position by applying the screws. The links are both attached to the same side of the flange 20 and consequently when the upper compartment of the chest is opened, one of these links may, in certain constructions, engage the other, thereby limiting the opening movement of the compartment.

Since the links may be made from light material, it is desirable that means be provided for guiding the same and for preventing the links from bending laterally. Any suitable mechanism may be employed for this purpose. As shown, guides or keepers 28 are provided. These guides each comprise metal links or strips provided with a central offset portion 30 for extending about the links I8 and I9 and have their ends provided with openings for receiving screws to the end walls of the lower compartment, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing. These guides permit the links to move transversely of the chest during the opening and closing movement of the clotime will prevent lateral Appropriate means are provided for latching the lid l3 and the closure |2 in lowered positions. These latching means are preferably in the form of push buttons, and since they are similar, only one need be described. Each of the latch members comprises a shank portion having an upwardly extending latch or catch portion 3| which is adapted to engage in an open- .ing 32 in an angular keeper 33 rigidly secured in a suitable recess 34 in the side walls of the compartment.

The shank portion 29 extends forwardly and terminates in a push button 35 which is slightly enlarged to form a shoulder for engaging a spring 36 which normally holds the button 35 extended for causing the latch 3| to engage in the opening .32 for locking the lid or upper closure in lowered position. Preferably, a finger device or handle 31 is provided on the upper closure between the two latches so that in opening either the lid or the upper compartment or closure, the operator may grasp the handle 31, and with the thumb or one of the fingers of the same hand may release one or the other of the latches by pushing the corresponding button, as desired. r

By making the hinge mechanism of comparatively thin. links, the greater portion of this mechanism will be concealed by a liner 40 of fibrous material that may be used for lining the bottom and side walls of the lower compartment. This-lining material when in position over the links will prevent the same from contacting the clothes and wearing, cutting or tearing said garments during the opening and closing of the chest.

I claim as my invention:-

"1.'A chest comprising a lower compartment, aclosure forsaid lower compartment, and means for hingedly' connecting said closure and said compartment together, said means comprising a pair of links of substantially the same length, an

attaching plate secured to the inner surface of an end wall of said lower compartment with the foredge thereof; said links being pivoted to the respective ,ends {of the attaching plate and angle pl'ateyfor movement'in the same plane, and a guide strip extending over intermediate portions or said links for guiding the same and for preventing lateral bending thereof.

2. A chest comprising a lower compartment, a

-closurefor said lower compartment, and means for hingedly connecting said closure and said compartment together so that the closure may be raised to vertical position adjacent to and. forwardly of therear edge of the chest, said means comprisingaipair'of links of substantially equal lengthgmeans for pivotally connecting the lower ends of said links in substantially the same plane on an end wallofthe lower compartment at vertically and laterally spaced points, the point nearerthe. rear edge of the chest being below the Ilevel'of the point more remote from said rear edge, and having their upper ends pivotallyconnected to said closure.

3. A chest comprising a lower compartment,

a closure for said lower compartment, and means for hingedly' connecting said closure and said compartment together so that the closure may be raised to vertical position adjacent to and forwa'rdly'of the rear edge of the chest, said means comprisinga plate, having a pair of laterally and vertically spaced pivots thereon, mounted on an end wall of the lower-compartment and in a plane parallel thereto, a pair of pivots carried by the closure near the rear edge thereof and in the plane of the first named pivots,-and a pair of links of substantially equal length each connected at its extreme ends to one of each of said pairs of pivotsgwherb'y the links are mounted for movement in substantially the same plane and whereby the paths of their movement do not intersect =when the'closureis raised or'lowered with relation to the lower compartment.

49A chest comprising a lower compartment, a

raised to vertical position adjacent to and forwardly of the rear edge of the chest, said means comprising a plate secured to the inner side of an end wall of said lower compartment, a pair of laterally and vertically spaced pivots projecting from the interior surface of said plate, a second plate having a pair of pivots carried on the under surface of the closure near the rear edge thereof and in the plane of the first named pivots, and a pair'of links of substantially equal length each connected at its opposite ends to one of each of WALTER ZIEGLER. 

